How are people supposed to know what they will be doing in six months time? I don't know what I will be doing next week, down to a 2 hour window. Ok, at my age, also, if I will even be around. John Ross About 20 years ago, Bill Brandom, of Yamaha, gave a class on pre-scheduling. It sounded like great idea, so I tried it when I got home. But between customers not knowing their schedule 6 months or a year later, and my schedule being to complicated, with teaching at seminars, going to handbell conference, and taking other trips to see family, I never persued it. But when I took over a tuner's customer's list here in Hawaii, the customers started asking me for a date. The previous tuner had programmed them to do this. I didn't want to do it at first but after the third customer asked me, I said, why not try it. I realized that I my trips off island would be very limited, so I started doing it. Now, when there is a conflict, I usually know several months in advance, so I write the customer a letter, and suggest a new date. And sometimes I'll get a call from a customer who has an appointment scheduled 4 months from now, and they need change it because they will be off island. So it works both ways. Pre-scheduling is not for everyone. But maybe you can try it for a few regular customers, and see what happens. Wim -----Original Message----- From: John Ross <jrpiano at eastlink.ca> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 5:08 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] What do you say? How are people supposed to know what they will be doing in six months time? I don't know what I will be doing next week, down to a 2 hour window. Ok, at my age, also, if I will even be around. John Ross Windsor, Nova Scotia. On 2011-01-31, at 11:04 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote: We send reminder cards that arrive around a week in advance...close to the appt but enough in advance that I may still be able to fill the slot if they're not able to keep the appt. We pre-schedule 99 percent of our clients 6 months, or a year out...works great! Rick Davies (RPD @ Forums) www.actionpianoservice.com About half of my customers are pre-scheduled either 6 months or a year in advanced. I send them a post card reminding them I'll be there at 9 Am on Tuesday, Feb. 1(or whatever). They get the post card about a week and a half before the appointment. I get quite a few asking to change the appointment, or cancel it. (The post card gets forwarded, and in some cases I've had customers call me from the mainland). But even at that, there are still some people who don't read their mail or are responsible enough to remember. Those are the people who aggravate me the most. I send them a reminder. Should I call them on top of that, too? Isn't that a little over kill? Wim -----Original Message----- From: sytekdavies <sytekdavies at btc-bci.com> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 4:54 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] What do you say? We send reminder cards that arrive around a week in advance...close to the appt but enough in advance that I may still be able to fill the slot if they're not able to keep the appt. We pre-schedule 99 percent of our clients 6 months, or a year out...works great! Rick Davies (RPD @ Forums) www.actionpianoservice.com Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect From: "Gerald Groot" <tunerboy3 at comcast.net> Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:30:35 -0500 To: <pianotech at ptg.org> ReplyTo: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] What do you say? I say sure, no problem and just do it. That way I don’t have an open appointment and lost money because they forgot. J I don’t mind, it’s income and a service I happily perform for all home customers. It’s more for my benefit than theirs. Jer From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of tnrwim at aol.com Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 7:26 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] What do you say? What do you say to a customer who sets up an appointment with you for a week or two from now, and then says, "can you call me to remind me the day before?" I want to say, "so who was your secretary before I came along?", or, "isn't you mommy taking care of you anymore?", but I know that's rude. But at the same time, I don't think it's my responsibility to have to remind people of their appointments. Now I know some of you call your customers the night before as a regular procedure, but I've never done that. I get a call from my doctor the day before, to remind me I've got an appointment. I feel insulted that they have to call me to remind me. I've talked with several customers who feel like I do. If I set up an appointment, it's my responsibility to keep that appointment. If people aren't more organized than that, that's not my problem.. By the same token, however, I do have "no-shows", like this afternoon. Perhaps a call last night would have reminded her I will be there. But I've got better things to do with my time. So what do you say to those who do want a reminder? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20110131/9794eac9/attachment.htm>
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